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dana_m34

1960s ranch exterior brick issue

5 years ago
last modified: last year

See "featured response" with photos of vertical brick issue.
Original question:Just purchased my house but I do not like the aluminum siding. I do not like the color combination of the trim and shutters (which seem to be aluminum). Any suggestions for what to do with this exterior?



Comments (105)

  • last year

    @kl23 is this it?


  • last year

    @Dana Martin that looks like the dark bronze I had in mind to go with Urbane Bronze, but I don't vote for dark bronze windows with "white everything else"...just for the record.

  • last year

    @kl23 oh, I know! Either all white or all dark;)

  • last year

    With your style house, yes. My opinion. Don't let kill your dream though.

  • last year

    @Dana Martin I think the key is dark windows for your era of house. The windows are more important to restore back to their dark color. If you reeeeeeeealy want light colored siding, after that, do get vertical. And see how light you can go without going all the way to white. I'd try shades of grey. Light grey and chocolate are awesome together. Just look at silver-wrapped Hershey's Kisses, partly unwrapped. And grey goes well with orange brick. Does that sound like a reasonable compromise?

    Dana Martin thanked kl23
  • last year

    If it were me, I would be using a visualizer to try out different shades I like. Hardie Board has one. I used PowerPoint for my own home.

  • last year

    @kl23 I have such a hard time picturing it along with a hard time with decisions



  • last year

    @Dana Martin can you ask your contractor or the sales person to show you color options on a visualizer? You aren't alone in having trouble visualizing. Few people have that gift, especially in three dimensions. That's why those electronic helpers are so popular.

  • last year

    I am struggling today to post pictures. I don't know if this will work. It is supposed to be a picture of your house with grey siding and bronze windows. Then you can tell me if you like lighter siding or more blue or what.

    Dana Martin thanked kl23
  • last year

    @kl23 no, didn't work :( and i just realized that if i do dark windows then i'd need to replace all of them ($). if i do a light siding with white trim windows, i'd only replace the 4 front to casement and leave the others (they all are white vinyl currently)

  • last year

    Another image I posted earlier eventually showed up. I'll hope for the best. I faced the same question at one point. I decided to invest in windows and use less expensive siding. It looks good but won't last as long as Hardie Board. But it didn't cost much and can be replaced without much fuss someday. I found out Hardy Board needs to be painted periodically. I didn't want that.

    Dana Martin thanked kl23
  • last year

    @Dana Martin it's showing now. 😁

    Dana Martin thanked kl23
  • last year
    last modified: last year

    @kl23 oh wow - thank you SO MUCH! looks so much better than the viewers i have tried using. the dark color i want to use is SW Urbane Bronze. if i go light/gray, possibly SW Roycroft Mist. What siding did you end up using? Above, Hallett & co sent a pic of vertical siding that is NOT board and batten but as far as i can figure out, the only vertical Hardie siding IS board and batten.

    also, if i use urbane bronze, what about making it all the same color with the windows, if that is possible. like this :

    Swannanoa Residence · More Info


  • last year

    I'm glad you liked my attempt. I used PowerPoint and put individual rectangles in to simulate boards. Do you want the color lighter? Darker? Redder? Bluer? Greener? I like the way this color picks up some grey bricks.

  • last year

    I can't see your picture right now but will keep checking. I am starting to think this is a Houzz problem this weekend, not a me problem.

  • last year

    maybe darker @kl23 Is it possible to have windows without trim or trim the same color as the paint color? like have the windows be flush with the siding

  • last year

    If you get new windows in a bronze color, make sure the trim is thinner than what you have now. And no grids, if possible. Then your idea to use Urbane Bronze- or something similar - will look more MCM, which is the era I think your house belongs to.

    It’s adorable, and what you’re planning will be a big improvement.

    Dana Martin thanked RedRyder
  • last year

    @RedRyder thank you! What are grids? I'm hoping to get casement windows

  • last year

    @Dana Martin as requested, a rendition in windows to match the siding.


    Dana Martin thanked kl23
  • last year

    @Dana Martin the way to get the thinner window casing mentioned by @Red Ryder is to get full replacement windows. A lot of window sales people sell what they call replacement windows. They are so much less expensive that most people can't resist. But they are just installing a window inside your window. That makes the casing thick and gives you less glass area. It also leaves you with an old casing and an old seal between your interior and exterior. Getting full replacement windows is going to be more expensive but worth it. Try just getting them for one area at a time. Get a pair for the front of your house, for example. https://www.andersenwindows.com/windows-and-doors/windows/casement-windows/400-series-casement-window/#design

    Dana Martin thanked kl23
  • last year
    last modified: last year

    dark grey with a divided casement windows in color to match the siding


  • last year

    thank you!!! now i am seeing what i want. everything in the pic you sent with the divided casement windows but with the bronze trim and narrower, as you explained above. so appreciate all this help!!@kl23 I'm also wondering if I don't bother with casement, how much difference that will make in the look (since it will save me some money on the windows)

  • last year

    So, are you asking me to make one with casement windows in dark bronze and with the dark grey siding?

    Dana Martin thanked kl23
  • last year

    This is a good example of a casement window without grids/muntins. In bronze.

    Dana Martin thanked RedRyder
  • last year

    @kl23 yes, that would be great :)))

  • last year

    i just talked to my contractor. the Florida code for casement windows means that the the trim + frame width is about 3." Or, i could do fixed windows which would add a little more glass (a little less trim, i assume). I don't open those front windows so I'm thinking picture windows might be fine. he seems to think the casement with the trim will look great.

    Also, is it the window frame that I want in the dark bronze (as opposed to the white)? Not just the dark trim and white frame, correct?

    Another suggestion someone gave me is to replace from the bottom of the current windows to the roof line with all glass (a much bigger undertaking, i realize). any thoughts on that? @kl23 @RedRyder

  • last year

    I think you'll like the casement you can open. Fresh air is nice. I think if you get a full window, you'll like it better than the replacement (insert).

    The window and frame will both be dark on the outside

    The interior can be white if you want.

    Dana Martin thanked kl23
  • last year
    last modified: last year

    what about the fascia and soffitt colors?? @kl23



  • last year


    how bad does this look with leaving the white windows on the side of the house? too expensive to change all the windows :( and that side of the house is not very visible with messy plants preventing anyone walking through there and no need to walk through that way, anyway due to fence in the back.

  • last year

    Get some poster board and paint it the bronze color you’re considering. Tape it to the house and leave it for a few days.

    If you still like it, that’s your color. Urbane Bronze by SW is a great color, but check it against your brick. It is a grayish-brown (or brownish-gray) and is rather fabulous. It might work with your brick.

    Dana Martin thanked RedRyder
  • PRO
    Dana Martin thanked Home Interiors with Ease
  • last year

    @Dana Martin the soffit and fascia also should be dark. Otherwise they look unfinished. You'll love them dark. Regarding the windows on the side, they also should be dark. If you can't afford to replace them now, you can wait, but keep moving forward but by bit.

    Dana Martin thanked kl23
  • last year
    last modified: last year

    What do you think about 2lite sliders vs casement windows? @kl23 @RedRyder

    And paint the ceiling of the carport dark, too? I e., everything shd be dark

  • last year

    There are some paints that are supposedly suitable for painting vinyl. So if you can’t swing total replacement for your windows, painting the side windows could get you through till you can replace them.

    Dana Martin thanked joots07
  • last year

    I like whatever windows you have since replacement windows are expensive. Try the painting suggestions and see how it looks. (And post a photo!)

    Dana Martin thanked RedRyder
  • last year

    @Dana Martin easy question first... Yes, paint the ceiling of the carport the same dark color as the other trim.

    Window choice, as I recall, the windows need replacing, not just because of color, but because they leak or something like that, right? I looked on-line for advice for you about choosing sliders vs casement. Both are perfectly acceptable for your style of house. Apparently, casement offers greater energy efficiency because they seal tighter when shut; and they give better ventilation when open. Plus they give the cleanest view to the outside because the sliders overlap each other when open. So, if you planted a lovely flowering tree in front, you'd get the best view of it in spring, as an example. Cleaning the outside of a casement window from the inside can require long arms, so you may have to clean them from the outside, so consider that in your landscaping. Probably good that you removed the row of bushes there. The casement style can literally be a pain if above a patio. But I don't think you are considering a patio in front of them, are you? A casement window has a little crank inside I remember being awkward to clean. Either one will have a single vertical bar in the center of your window space, but will be far less noticable with a dark color instead of white.

    The biggest difference is function, including cleaning. Can you go to a window store/dealer and ask to see and work with an example of both? I just read the sliders may be less expensive and have lower installation costs than the casement windows. I know cost is a factor. I also think they are perfectly compatible with each other. You could get casement windows where you can imagine opening them a lot for ventilation, and sliders where you think you will only rarely open them, or where you think cleaning from the outside would be difficult.

    Dana Martin thanked kl23
  • last year
    last modified: last year

    @kl23 there are no problems with the current windows. Just the color. That's why having such a hard time with the window decision/expense.

    The paint color in the pic below looks a little bluer than it actually is. (Couldn't reach the top to paint that's why still the light color;)



  • last year

    Look into paints for your vinyl windows.

    Love the new color so far.

    Dana Martin thanked RedRyder
  • last year

    Sorry to mis-remember, @Dana Martin

    I agree with @Red Ryder regarding painting the windows then.

    Dana Martin thanked kl23
  • last year

    Meanwhile, I am putting up the vertical siding:) and at the last minute decided I will change the front windows to 2 lite slider (casement way too expensive) with bronze trim


  • last year

    @Dana Martin how very interesting! I don't know what to do about filling the open brick areas. Maybe brick, tiles, or colored concrete could be recessed in those spaces from the outside. I would ask a mason what to do. Or maybe post a separate Houzz question directed to masons first. If you're really lucky a mason will see this post. I'm thinking colored concrete would be easiest. I know the perfect guy for the job here but I don't know if you have a concrete "artisan" where you are.

    Dana Martin thanked kl23
  • last year

    @Dana Martin, the vertical siding looks wonderful! Now I want it on MY house! So contemporary and stylish! Are those the new windows? And you will paint siding, windows, and trim the same dark bronze?

    Dana Martin thanked kl23
  • last year

    @Dana Martin Google for someone local who does "stamped concrete". I think all you need is a colored "release powder". It's like when you cut cookies and you dip your cookie cutter in flour before cutting each cookie shape out. It's VERY messy and stays on everything for years. Amazon delivered an area rug the same day the stamping was done on my driveway. The release powder drifted onto the area rug and made it slick for a year and a half. I was close to throwing it away, but it finally got all vacuumed up I guess.


    If you want to DYI, I suggest you learn to work with your medium by forming stepping stones or edgers for the garden. You'll want to figure out how to keep the concrete off the brick surrounding the inserts. I was wondering if a "box" of heavy paper would work for inside. At the edges, tape it to an additional protective apron below and maybe a little to the sides and above the are you are working with. You'd want to make a rectangular "stamp" to pushed the concrete back into the insert. My guy made his stamp from metal he welded together on site or there were ones made of a heavy rubber that he laid on the surface. He just grabbed the release powder and threw it onto the surface.

    It can be done vertically. The foundation of my home was structurally fine but ugly. He smeared concrete on the side and stamped it then made "seams" with his finger. It looks like a nice block foundation. I imagine you'd want to get the mix right so it wasn't runny.

    Dana Martin thanked kl23
  • last year

    Wow! Look what AI from Googling gave me:

    "proportions for mixing concrete for vertical application vs horizontal"

    For horizontal applications like slabs, a common concrete mix ratio is 1:2:3 (cement:sand:aggregate), while for vertical applications like walls, a stiffer mix with more cement and sand might be used. The water content and slump also vary depending on the application, with vertical mixes often requiring a stiffer slump than horizontal mixes.
    Here's a more detailed breakdown:
    Horizontal Applications (Slabs, Floors, etc.)
    Mix Ratio:
    A popular mix ratio for horizontal applications is 1:2:3 (cement:sand:aggregate).
    Slump:
    A slump of 4 to 5 inches is considered to be in the proper range for horizontal applications.
    Water-cement ratio:
    For residential work, the water-cement ratio should be between 0.40 and 0.55.

    Vertical Applications (Walls, Columns, etc.)
    Mix Ratio:
    Vertical applications often benefit from a stiffer mix, which can be achieved by increasing the cement and sand content. For example, a mix ratio of 1:1.5:3 (cement:sand:aggregate) could be used for vertical applications.
    Slump:
    The slump for vertical applications should be between 160 mm to 180 mm, according to avesis.ktu.edu.tr.
    Water-cement ratio:
    The water-cement ratio should not exceed 0.45.
    Admixtures:
    If needed, suitable admixtures can be used to achieve the specified slump while maintaining strength.
    Factors Affecting Concrete Mix Proportions
    Strength Requirements:
    The desired strength of the concrete will influence the amount of cement used.
    Workability:
    The need for workability during placement and finishing can affect the sand-to-aggregate ratio.
    Durability:
    The durability requirements of the concrete, such as resistance to freeze-thaw cycles, may influence the mix design.
    Application:
    The specific application, whether it's a slab, wall, or other structural element, will affect the optimal mix proportions.
    Example Concrete Mix Ratios
    M10: 1:3:6 (cement:sand:aggregate)
    M15: 1:2:4 (cement:sand:aggregate)
    M20: 1:1.5:3 (cement:sand:aggregate)
    M25: 1:1:2 (cement:sand:aggregate)
    Slab: 1:2:4 (cement:sand:aggregate)
    Vertical Repair: 1:2:3 (cement:sand:aggregate) with increased cement for stiffer mix.


    ScienceDirect.com
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    Dana Martin thanked kl23
  • last year
    last modified: last year

    @kl23 thank you for the wealth of information! Good idea re separate post:)

    I ordered bronze trim for the new windows. So exciting! Everything else will be painted the dark SW Urbane Bronze

  • last year

    I'm excited to see your progress. Your home is probably very grateful for your love.

  • last year
    last modified: last year

    Ok, any thoughts on this situation? Maybe I she paint all those little spaces on top of the window and door green? I don't like how the brown looks above the door with the the door and casing both painted green


    Maybe paint the ceiling dark?

    Or paint those small rectangular spaces white and the door casing white?

    @RedRyder @kl23




  • last year

    I like the idea of painting the area above the door green. Hey, wasn't that door a dark wine red?

  • last year

    @kl23 it was:)